[Deek]

Over the life of a road, most of the cost of that road is in the form of operating and maintenance expenses. No road is "already paid for". Roads that are open today will cost millions of dollars a year (in someone's money) to maintain.

The problem we have is that Texas is a gas-tax "Donor State". We are paying for everyone else's roads. This is what we should be protesting!

In my opinion, Tolls are the fairest of all forms of taxation. You only pay for it if you use it. If you don't use it, you don't pay. Not to mention you aren't demanding some other poor state pay for your road.

We need the roads in Austin. Until something better comes along, tolls look good to me. At least I know that all of the money I pay will be used to build roads in my area.

[Jarhead1957]

Deek, I too want good roads, but we pay for highways everytime we fill up our vehicles. The trouble in Texas and the US in general is that the moneys were spent on other projects. I have no faith in the toll momey being only spent on road and repairs. The general rule is if a politicain has money in a fund the spend it on something.

An example mass transportation in Austin. Look at that mess, and think what will happen to the toll monies.

[Swankette]

You are right on with this deek. In addition, people are uneducated in that they do not know that for every toll road there is a free road alternative.

[Bikers4Bush]

So what will happen when everyone takes to the side streets genius?

[Mr. Quarterpanel]

Over the life of a road, most of the cost of that road is in the form of operating and maintenance expenses.

Huh? Interstate Highways cost anywhere between $3-24 million a mile. Even if that were true, Trucks pay a "road usage tax" and everybody pays gas taxes and tag fees that are supposed to go for road building and maintenance.

If you want to toll new roads, that is one thing, but to convert existing roads to toll is just wrong. Toll roads have an entire bureaucracy built in (toll collectors, administration personnel, security) that has to be supported by the toll as well as paying for the road itself.

The problem we have is that Texas is a gas-tax "Donor State". We are paying for everyone else's roads.

Last I checked, state taxes collected do not go the federal government, or any other state.